Scour the Universe, Catch a Star
by emeraldeye14
Summary: Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis are junior officers of the Insomnian Fleet, but even they are unable to avoid disaster when a ship that cannot be seen or tracked enters a battle of attrition. Prompto Argentum, a Niflheim born master smuggler, is hired by an unknown company to capture one Noctis and deliver him alive and unharmed into equally unknown hands. Simple. Until it's not.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**

 **War never changes. It is always the cause of a massive loss of life, and where a few heroes rise to the top. After losing their home world to the Niflheim Empire, the Insomnian Fleet, led by Admiral Regis, is the only thing that stands between the Empire's constant encroachment and the utter destruction of their people.**

 **Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis are junior officers of the Insomnian Fleet, which is to be expected given who their parents are. They're good pilots, some of the best, but even they are unable to avoid disaster when a ship that cannot be seen or tracked enters a battle of attrition.**

 **Prompto Argentum, a Niflheim born master smuggler, is hired by an unknown company to capture one Noctis Lucis Caelum, and deliver him alive and unharmed into equally unknown hands. Simple enough for someone as experienced as Prompto. But what starts as simple winds up being anything but as nothing else goes according to plan.**

 **This little plot bunny has been bouncing around in my head for a while now while I've been on a sci-fi kick. Not sure how far it will go, but I have ideas for a few chapters. It's completely cannon divergent and won't follow the story of the game at all (though I may use some events as inspiration). This chapter is a little shorter than my usual, but was just something for me to try out and see if the theme fits. Let me know if you enjoy it :)**

-l-l-l-

"Noct!" Ignis shouted, feeling his heart drop in his chest as the red glow of the explosion coloured his face. No, this could not be happening, no no no!

"Iggy!" Gladio's voice came over the com. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gladio's fighter wizz by overhead, pulse lasers firing, sending another Empire fighter up in flames. "Pull yourself together and look for an escape pod," he snapped.

Ignis swallowed, took a breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was composed and in control once more, pushing aside the after image of watching his friend's fighter explode, with them helpless to prevent it. "Right," he muttered, and he gunned the thrusters of his ship, activating the scanners to look for any sign of an escape pod in the wreckage, trusting Gladio to cover him from enemy fire.

-l-l-l-

Admiral Regis grit his teeth as he watched the holographic image of the battle play out before him, his hands tightening on the cane he was forced to use when standing for long periods of time. The battle was… not going well. Not poorly, for the most part they were holding their own, but they were not making any headway either. At this rate they would be forced to concede this sector to the enemy, something that he was hoping to avoid.

Now though, he was more concerned with the fate of his son, out there in the emptiness of space. He had watched his son's fighter blink out from the display, indicating its destruction, had heard the other's re-coordinating their actions with the loss of one of their commanders. He had always known this was a possibility, they all did, not a person in this room didn't have a friend or relative or both out their fighting and not everyone was going to make it back alive. But it was one thing to know it, and another to feel it.

" _I found his pod,"_ Ignis's voice came over their coms. " _There are life signs on board."_

Regis closed his eyes and allowed himself a breath of relief, but it wasn't to last and his eyes shot open in alarm as Ignis continued.

" _Wait it… it's gone."_

" _What? Gone? Gone how?"_ Ulric demanded.

" _Just… just gone. It was on my sensors, I had the cargo scoop open ready to collect it, and then it disappeared,"_ Ignis replied. He was rattled, Regis could hear it in his voice. Unsurprising; Ignis was like an older brother to his son, but nonetheless unusual for the usually composed young man.

Clarrus, Regis's right hand man and Vice Admiral of the Insomnian Fleet, stepped forward. He held open the mic as he spoke his orders, "Scientia, return to base, your sensors must be faulty. Send the co-ordinates you last saw the pod to Guard unit. Guard Unit, use the co-ordinates Scientia sends you to locate that escape pod; you're on search and recovery. Glaive Unit One, cover the Guard Unit. Glaive Unit Two, press the attack, left flank, co-ordinates incoming."

Clarus glanced to Regis as he stepped back to the responses to his orders and the Admiral gave him a small nod of approval. For now, that was all they could do.

-l-l-l-

Prompto sped away unseen from the battle, leaving the turmoil behind him. His ship was running silent and while in that mode it couldn't be picked up on any scanners, so long as he remembered to eject the thermal pods every now and then to keep the engine cool. Consequently it meant he couldn't inspect his new cargo no matter how much he wanted to. He had a contract to keep and his reputation meant he had to get away without anyone from either side even knowing he was there. So far he was successful, but it was tricky and required his concentration; it took careful flying not to allow any of the debri or a stray shot to strike him.

Only once he was well clear of the battle did he take his ship out of silent running mode and set it to auto. At the press of a few buttons he saw a screen of the cargo bay where he had the escape pod stored and smirked to himself when he saw his target out and about, or rather stomping about, looking every bit the irritable royal shit he was reported to be.

Instead of going immediately to the cargo bay, however, he opened a line to his employer. "It's done," he said. "The raven has had its wings clipped."

The woman on the com screen in front of him rolled her eyes. "Really, Prompto, this isn't one of your intrigue stories," she said, her tone tired.

Prompto just laughed. "Oh come on, it's more fun this way!" She just shook her head in response. "Fine, fine, I'm on my way to you."

"He's uninjured?" she asked.

Prompto glanced at the other screen, the one showing his captive. He did look a bit singed around the edges, he was forced to admit. And even though he was up and walking around, he was holding one arm close to his chest. "Not entirely, but nothing life threatening," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "It couldn't be helped, not like he was just going to jump out of his fighter if I asked nicely, no matter how charming I am," he said, flashing her his best alluring smile.

"Nice try," the woman said dryly. "Get moving. And make sure to patch the guy up at least, we need him on our side."

"Yeah, yeah," Prompto said, flipping a hand to her and leaning back in his chair, snagging a packet of chips and popping a couple in his mouth.

"Seriously Prompto. And be careful around him. I'll see you soon," she said before the screen went blank.

Prompto turned in his chair slightly to watch the target lean angrily back against the pod. He glared at up at the camera and Prompto was met with striking dark blue eyes. He grinned. So the navy brat had already found the camera. Well at least he was observant if nothing else. Well, sort of. He hadn't found the medical supplies kept in the cargo bay in case of emergencies, but that wasn't really all that surprising since they were through one of the hidden doorways. Noctis Lucis Caelum, navy brat of some notoriety, would not have any reason to suspect anything was not as he could see.

But he was still holding his arm as though it were hurting him. Feeling a twinge of sympathy - it was Prompto who had shot him out of the sky after all - he activated the mic and, for the lols, pinched his nose. "Welcome to the SS Chocobo. This is your captain speaking. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for flying with us today and to inform you of this ship's amenities. You are currently in the cargo hold, one of two rooms where you will be remaining for the duration of our flight. To your left is your cabin, equipped with a basic bathroom for your comfort." He triggered the door to open. To his credit, Noctis only glanced towards the doorway before going back to glaring at the camera. "I'm sure you'll find everything you need in there, including some medical supplies under the sink. Now get comfortable, relax, and enjoy the ride. I hope you choose the SS Chocobo for your next abduction. Have a good day."

Prompto turned off the mic, but not the camera, and grinned, quite pleased with himself. He still had to figure out how he was going to feed the guy but continue to protect himself; the little cabin attached to the cargo hatch didn't include any kind of kitchen. Normally if he was smuggling people they were willing and had actually hired him. This was the first time he was smuggling someone unwilling, let alone such a high value target as the son of the Admiral of the Insomnian Fleet. But he was sure he would think of something. After all, he didn't have his reputation as the best smuggler in the Empire for nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously on Scour the Universe, Catch a Star:**

 _A battle wages between the Empire and Insomnian Fleet. Noctis's fighter is destroyed, but when Ignis goes to fetch Noctis's life pod, it vanishes from his senses._

 _Prompto informs his employer that he has captured Noctis as he was hired to do and is on his way to them to deliver him._

-l-l-l-

"Well?" Ignis asked impatiently. He heard a muttered complaint too quiet to make out before Cindy pulled herself out from under his fighter.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with the sensors. Or the display. Or anything else apart from a few scorch marks here and there," she said, wiping her hands on the pants of her overalls.

"Are you sure?" Ignis pressed. "Perhaps if you checked again-"

"I can check it as many times as you want but the results will always be the same. There's. Nothing. Wrong. With. It," Cindy replied, then added, "Sir," for good measure.

Ignis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. He needed a coffee. "You're right, I'm sorry I should trust you," he said, lowering his hand and was relieved to see Cindy's previously irritably stern expression soften somewhat. "I just… there's no other explanation for what I saw. His escape pod was right there, lined up and ready for collection. And then it wasn't."

"He'll turn up again, I'm sure," Cindy said gently before her smile took on a cheeky edge. "He probably decided that it was a good time for a nap and slept through the rest of the fight. I'm sure we'll hear from him once he wakes up and realises it's all over."

Despite himself Ignis smirked; Noctis's ability to literally sleep through anything was legendary among the fleet. "I hope you're right," he said. "I guess I'll pass on your findings and leave you to it. No doubt you've got a lot to do after this mess."

"You're telling me," Cindy said sliding under another fighter awaiting her attention. "Do me a favour," she called from under the ship, "stop blowing up my babies."

Ignis gave a rather undignified snort at that. "Next time I see the Empire I'll pass that message along," he said dryly.

"Thaaaanks," Cindy sang out, waving her foot to him as Ignis left.

Now to tell the Admiral, Noctis's father, that his son had legitimately vanished and they had no leads on his whereabouts. Ignis wished at that moment that _he_ was the one who had just vanished into thin air.

-l-l-l-

Noctis _had_ used the opportunity to catch a nap after his pod had been ejected - why not? The pod couldn't be controlled and had no windows so there was nothing to do but wait for pickup (or death but he refused to think that) - but despite what everyone else thought he couldn't sleep through _everything_. He had woken up on his own when he felt the pod being picked up and waited impatiently for the monitors to tell him it was now safe outside for him to leave. He hadn't, however, expected to emerge in an unfamiliar cargo bay and be met with a holographic chocobo telling him in a nasally voice that he had been kidnapped. What the actual fuck?

And also along those lines, fuck his arm hurt! He hadn't quite been fast enough in ejecting to avoid it, believing he still had time to save his fighter. He was fully prepared to have Ignis chew his head off about that, closely followed by Luna, not for, well, this.

With a sigh and not knowing what else to do, Noctis pushed away from the side of the pod and started poking around in the bedroom / bathroom that had opened up for him. Kind of weird, he thought, having a bedroom and bathroom attached to the cargo hanger, but then who was he to judge? He hadn't really been on any ship outside of the Insomnian Fleet and this was very obviously not one of theirs.

There really wasn't much to it though someone had clearly gone to great effort to decorate it with photos and posters on the wall, mostly of punk bands and yet more chocobos (what was it with this guy and chocobos anyway?). There was also a single bunk bed, a toilet with a curtain for privacy, a wash basin with a cupboard underneath it and a mirror above it. No shower, annoyingly, but Noctis could live with that. It's not like he would be here for long until his father tracked him down. He was already getting a headache which indicated that his father was using the CRYSTAL to track him. Why he needed to in the first place was concerning - surely they had him on their sensors? - but he had no doubt the answers would come soon enough. For now at least, he could use the promised medical supplies to patch himself up.

Carefully, he undid his flight suit, a plain black jumpsuit that protected him from radiation but, unfortunately, not from burns. It was ruined now so he tossed it in the trash can. Truthfully the black skin-tight t-shirt he wore under it wasn't much better. Gently, he pulled it up over his head, hissing in pain as it brushed his shoulder. Now that he was shirtless, however, he was able to examine the wound in the mirror and, truthfully, it didn't look all that bad. He had seen plenty more burns from people who survived their fighters being blown up around them. He was lucky, even if he didn't feel particularly lucky at the moment.

The battle hadn't been going particularly well even before his fighter had been destroyed. The Empire had gotten the jump on them, somehow managing to find them even though they hadn't made planetfall in months. Not Noctis of course, no, he was never allowed to make planetfall, but other members of the crew. It was a concern, and one he had no doubt his father and Clarus would be mulling over, or would have been if they weren't distracted looking for him.

Noctis sighed, then winced as another sharp pain shot through his head. Whatever his father was doing to locate him _hurt_! And what sucked was Noctis didn't even know if that was normal or not. Maybe he shouldn't have skipped those private lessons with his dad after all.

With a sigh, Noct sat on the bed and leaned his back against the wall. Nothing he could do now but wait and make sure he was ready to leave when the opportunity arrived.

-l-l-l-

Regis leaned heavily on his cane, eyes closed as sweat beaded on his forehead. Using the CRYSTAL in this fashion was not ideal but they had no other leads to go on and at least this way Noctis would be aware that they were looking for him, that he wasn't going to be abandoned as lost.

Images flashed before his closed eyes: a ship unlike any he had seen before, his son bathing a burned and bruised shoulder, a blonde haired man. Regis frowned and reached further, harder, ignoring the building pain in his head and the weariness of his limbs. He needed more, something, a direction, anything that would tell them where to start looking. The images flashed faster and faster behind his eyelids, more ships of Niflheim make, a woman with ashen hair, a city planet surface, people, mostly poor, huddling in the streets for warmth, a laboratory, rows and rows of glass tanks, their contents obscured, a battle on the streets and in the skies, ships burning, debri raining down to the planet below, burning up in the atmosphere to leave an ash storm in their wake. Death and destruction on a scale they could not yet comprehend but they will. Oh they will.

Regis came awake with a gasp feeling strong hands grip him, holding him under the arms and guiding him gently down to sit, his back against a strong man's chest. A familiar man. Clarus, he realised, coming back to the present.

"You saw something, didn't you," his oldest friend said. Not a question, but questioning nonetheless.

"Yes," Regis gasped out, raising a hand to his forehead to rub at the building pressure there. "Many things. A great many things, most of which I do not understand yet. And no doubt I won't until it's too late."

"Anything that may help us find Noctis?"

Regis let himself relax and tried to recall the images he had seen. Most had flashed by too fast to be substantial though they would come back to him in time. But there were some things that stood out. His son, injured but alive, two strangers, a young man and a woman. An unusual ship and that city world, the battle. He could not recall everything about that battle but… "We need to find a city planet, a cold one, not one where its people are thriving. Somewhere in Niflheim space I believe. I saw a fight waging above that planet, there were Niflheim ships involved. I do not remember the details, only hope that it was not our ships they were fighting."

"It shouldn't be; we can hardly send the whole floatilla waltzing into enemy territory, but perhaps a small team…" Clarus trailed off when he noticed that his commander and best friend was asleep. The corner of his mouth twitched in what was almost a fond smile, before he schooled his expression once more and instead slipped his arms under Regis's shoulders and knees and lifted him. He would get his friend settled into bed first, and then see about first finding this mystery planet and then organising a strike team to infiltrate behind enemy lines and extract Noctis.


	3. Chapter 3

**Previously on Scour the Universe, Catch a Star:**

 _It was discovered that Ignis's scanners were not malfunctioning at all and Noctis's escape pod really did seem to just vanish._

 _Noctis was allowed into a small bedroom and bathroom where he cleaned and tended to his wounded shoulder._

 _Regis used the CRYSTAL and received a mysterious and ominous vision but in the process got a lead on where to look for his missing son._

-l-l-l-

Clarus flipped through the dossiers of potential candidates for the strike team, trying to decide not only who would be suitable, but who they could spare. Every skirmish they engaged in carried its own risks and casualties and this latest one was no different. They had lost a lot of good soldiers. Most were from the various Glaive units who were far more expendable to Clarus's mind than the Guard unit, but still every loss was keenly felt as they were losing soldiers faster than they could train them.

Whoever he sent would have to be skilled in blending in; the last thing they needed was the Empire catching on to the fact that they were sending people in to their territory. So none of the Guard then, he decided, instantly laying aside the dosiers that related to the Guard unit. And if he was perfectly honest with himself, he wasn't completely beyond being biased in not wanting his own son to be sent into such danger just yet. He had to learn a lot more about self control before Clarus was willing to send him behind enemy lines like this.

So, the Glaive. Even if that meant clearing it with Drautos first. Ulric was the first to come to mind. He was skilled, incredibly so if Drautos were to be believed, and was known to disobey orders in order to save his friends which could be useful in this case. But he was also cocky and overly sure of his own strength and importance. Normally that would instantly dismiss him in Clarus's mind but in this case it might actually work in his favour. He set that one in the maybe pile.

Now if he remembered correctly Ulric worked best when accompanied by close companions. His dosier noted four in particular: Ostium, Libertus; Altius, Crowe; Lazarus, Luche; and Khara, Pelna. Clarus was of the opinion that only two would be needed - after all too many would attract unwanted attention no matter how good they were. He looked over each of their dossiers, trying to decide. Libertus would blend in easily, but his combat skills weren't up to scratch. Crowe was fast but had a tendency to be loud mouthed. Luche was intelligent but known to be a bit of a suck up. And Pelna was… well actually there was very little about Pelna. His scores were average and the most his various psych assessments said was that he took very little seriously.

Clarus sighed. Maybe Drautos would have a recommendation for him. He didn't really like the man - something about him just rubbed him the wrong way - but he knew his soldiers better than anyone.

A knock on his door drew his attention and he looked up from the desk he was sitting at to see Gladio standing in the door. He was standing at attention so whatever he had to say was official. "Come in," Clarus said, turning in his seat to face his son.

"Sir, requesting permission to be part of the team going after Noctis," Gladio said formally.

Clarus rose an eyebrow. "How do you know there is a team being sent?" he asked.

Gladio blinked at the question, clearly not expecting it. "But… there has to be," he said, informality slipping through. "We can't just leave him to whatever happened. We need to find him and I need to be part of that. I failed to protect him in the first place, I won't fail again!"

"Exactly," Clarus said firmly. "You failed to protect him in the first place, as was your job as his shield. Permission denied." He turned back to his desk, looking over his files once more.

"But-"

"Permission denied, Lieutenant. You are dismissed," Clarus snapped not bothering to look around.

There was silence for a few seconds, then the sound of Gladio turning sharply, his boots clicking on the floor as he left. Alone once more, Clarus ran a hand over his face. He doubted that would be the end of it but for now, at least, he had to seek out Drautos's opinion on who else to send.

-l-l-l-

"Damn it!" Gladio swore, slamming his fist into the door frame as he entered, as though that would solve anything.

Ignis looked up from the latest requisition report he was reading over at the interruption, a small frown on his face. "No luck?" he asked, though he really needn't have bothered.

"'Permission denied, Lieutenant. You are dismissed,'" Gladio said, putting on a fair impression of his father's stern nature. "Not to mention rubbing in the fact that I failed Noct in the first place. As if I don't know that." He ran a hand through his hair then pulled his formal jacket off, draping it carelessly over the back of a chair. Ignis frowned at it but didn't bother to comment.

"If it's any consolation, I didn't have much luck either," Ignis said, laying aside his report. "Though the Admiral was rather more diplomatic about it. He said that the mission they needed to undertake to retrieve Noct required covert efforts. Something neither you nor I have much training in."

"How hard could it be? Find out where they're going, grab some civie clothes, pick up Noct and come back."

The corner of Ignis's mouth twitched despite himself. "Somehow I doubt it's that simple," he said. "For a start we don't know where this team is going, or who's on it."

"I can ask around. Surely someone will talk. Not every day you get to go rescue the Admiral's son."

"Or, you could just ask me," a song song voice came from the doorway.

Ignis looked over to see Gladio's younger sister Iris standing there, hands clasped behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her heels, clearly having heard every word they said.

"Iris what are you doing here?" Gladio demanded.

"Finding Noct, obviously," Iris replied.

"Oh really? And have you found him?" Gladio asked sarcastically.

"Well I'm doing a lot better than _you_ are. _I_ know who's being sent to find him _and_ where they're going," she replied.

"Well, spit it out then!" Gladio growled, his already limited patience growing thin.

"Na ah, not until you promise me you'll take me with you."

"Forget it," Gladio said turning his back on his sister and gathering up his jacket. To Iris it would seem as though Gladio was more that willing to leave it at that, but the larger man was facing Ignis so he saw the tiny twitch of a smile that gave away the fact he was deliberately manipulating his little sister. It was for that reason alone that Ignis stayed silent, deciding to see how things played out.

Iris, falling for her brother's bluff, scowled angrily. "You know, you're not the only one who cares about Noct! Just cause I wasn't allowed in that fight doesn't mean I didn't see what happened, we all did! And if he's really on that Galea planet then-" Realising what she had said, Iris broke off suddenly, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Galea, huh?" Gladio said turning back to her with a triumphant smile. "Thanks, sis," he said, ruffling her hair as he walked past, no doubt on his way to look up the planet.

"Take me with you!" Iris called after him.

"Nope!" Gladio replied from halfway down the hall without even looking back.

"Gladdy!" Iris tried but Gladio had already turned the corner.

Eager to avoid Iris doing something as stupid as they were no doubt about to do, Ignis spoke up finally, "Just how did you manage to get that information, anyway?" he asked.

Iris's anger fled just as quickly as it rose (the siblings were very alike in that regard) as she turned back to Ignis with a proud grin. "Easy," she said. "I heard what Gladdy was asking so I just waited around the corner until he and daddy left, then I went into daddy's room and looked around. He had dossiers all over his desk. Some were on people and Gladdy's was on a large pile so I figured they were those who weren't going and the other pile was for those who were. And then there was _another_ folder on the planet Gralea. Really, I'm surprised you didn't think of that Iggy."

"Well, my first instinct is usually not to go sneaking around in other people's possessions," he said with a small smile.

"Psh," Iris said, brushing it off. "It's just daddy."

"For you, perhaps. But for myself it's Vice Admiral Amicitia. Who were the people in the going pile? Anyone we know?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"No Guard unit members if that's what you mean," Iris said with a small pout, leaning against the back of Ignis's chair. "Do you know the Glaive Libertus?"

Ignis nodded. "He was the one who brought you back when you got lost as a child, correct?" he said. He didn't know the man well, barely at all, but he did remember that particular incident. There was panic among the Guard that no one could find a little girl of about four years old on a huge capital ship. It was the Glaive who found her, fast asleep in the duct works and unaware of the panic she had caused, and two of them, Libertus and Crowe, had brought her back to her father.

"Yeah! He's really cool. Well he was on the list, and Crowe too. And… and Nyx… and a couple others too but I don't remember their names," Iris said. "I'm gonna go tell them! I bet Libertus will let me come!"

"Iris wait!" Ignis called, standing as Iris made to leave.

"Yeah?" she said, pausing, but then her eyes narrowed. "You're not going to tell me I can't go too, are you?"

"I am, but not because I don't think you're capable, quite the opposite," Ignis said. That at least gave her pause. "What do you think? Do you think Gladio and I should go?"

"Well, yeah," she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Noct is gonna be Admiral after his dad, and you're his advisor and best friend, and Gladdy is his shield and will be Vice Admiral like daddy. You should definitely be the ones to go get him, which is why I came to tell you."

Ignis nodded, agreeing. "Exactly. But neither of us are supposed to which means we'll have to be stealthy about it. But it also means we'll need someone equally skilled and stealthy here to cover us. And I can think of no one more suited to the job."

It would be impossible for Iris to look more suspicious at that. "I'm not twelve," she said indignantly. "That's not going to work on me."

"I'm not trying to trick you, I'm being truthful. The longer we can go without anyone noticing that we're gone, the more chance we'll have at finding Noct. Think about it. If your dad and Admiral Regis realised we were gone only a day after we leave, what will happen?"

"They'll probably call you back," Iris said slowly.

Ignis nodded. "Which will leave even more time that it will take to reach Gralea by which time whatever lead it was that they found that pointed to there may already be too late. I don't know what happened to Noct or how or why his escape pod just vanished, but I can guarantee it's not for friendly purposes. The sooner we get to him the better."

"I guess…" Iris admitted and though her voice was despondent Ignis knew he had won. For all her bluster and whirlwind behaviour, she was intelligent and logical when she needed to be.

"And besides," Ignis added with a small conspiratorial smile. "You and I both know you have your dad wrapped around your little finger. You're the best person to distract him from us."

Iris grinned. "He does have trouble saying no to me, huh," she said. "Alright you got a deal. You guys bring Noct back okay and I'll keep daddy distracted for as long as I can. Okay?" She held a hand out and Ignis grasped it.

"Deal," he agreed giving it a shake. "Now let's go find Gladio before he does something that ruins everything."

-l-l-l-

Noctis was bored. He had already gotten up and paced around the small room and the cargo bay, found a stash of health bars (what the hell, who kept health bars where there should be a stash of candy?), actually managed to eat one of them, or gag down one would be more accurate since those things were disgusting. And now he was laying back on the bottom bunk absently kicking the top one. His shoulder was throbbing, felt like it was still burning even though he knew that wasn't the case, but he hadn't found any pain killers. Or shirts.

He sighed and kicked the bunk particularly hard, making the mattress jump up and fall back down crookedly. He _could_ use the CRYSTAL to get out, of course. That would be a fairly simple matter. But the fact was he didn't know how many people were on the ship and if he would be able to take them on himself, nor did he know how the ship had even managed to get away from the battle without being disabled after capturing his escape pod in the first place. He was sure that _someone_ must have seen it, so why was any of this even happening in the first place? There were just too many uncertainties to risk giving away his full capabilities now.

"Hey! Chocobo dude!" he called out from where he lay. "I know you can hear me and if you can't you're a bigger idiot than I thought. You got any spare shirts, or you just like what you see?"

As expected, that got a response as a far more normal and less nasally voice came over the comm system. "What would you do if I told you I liked what I saw?"

Noctis choked a little. Liked what he saw? Was he for real? "Come on, man, get me a shirt or something! And while you're at it maybe a console and a TV or something would be great. Seriously how do you keep entertained around here with nothing to do?"

"Flying into a battlefield in an invisible ship to capture the Admiral's son does wonders for the boredom," came the laughing reply.

Invisible ship? What the hell? "Yeah I bet," he chose to reply, his voice dry. "Why _did_ you capture me anyway? You're clearly not interested in torturing me for information, or using me to extort money out of my father."

"What if I told you I was planning to sell you into slavery? The empire has a roaring slave market, especially at the moment."

At the moment? What was that supposed to mean? "I'd call you out on your bluff. There are better targets to sell than a lone junior officer even if I would get a higher price than the average citizen." The disembodied voice laughed good naturedly. "Why did you _really_ capture me?"

"To meet some people," the voice said simply. Noct frowned in confusion. He hadn't really known what to expect but that wasn't it. "I know some people who can help you and, more importantly, you can help them."

"Then you should have captured my father. I have no command over the fleet," Noctis said.

"Oh if we could have we would have. But he can't fly now, can he? Something about a bung leg? No, his son has to fight in his place. Which means you _do_ hold some weight, maybe more than you think."

The hand that was under Noct's head clenched, the movement hidden from view even though the way he clenched his jaw at those words was not. Because what that disembodied voice said was right. His father was no longer able to fight. And he also knew the whisperings of others, that Noct wasn't even good enough to fight but his daddy had pulled strings to get him the rank he held. That they were only keeping the old man in his position until they could stand him down gracefully. Noct hated that talk. He knew he had earned his position just as much as the others had, and if that were all they were saying he could deal with it. But he hated that they spoke that way about his father, as though he were ready to be put out to pasture. And now, worse, some stranger he didn't even know somehow knew those rumours.

"But you're right," the voice continued, "we can't very well have the son of an Admiral rocking up half naked, that just doesn't cut all that inspiring a figure. I'll be down shortly with some clothes and food. Just… promise not to murder me okay?"

Noct snorted. "No promises," he said.

"Seriously?" the voice squeaked and Noct couldn't help it, he laughed.

"Alright, alright, I promise not to murder you. But only so long as you don't try to murder me, got it?"

"Deal!" the voice said, before the comm system shut off.

-l-l-l-

Prompto clutched the bundle to his chest and tried to slow his breathing. For all his bravado on the comm, coming face to face with Noctis Lucis Caelum of the Insomnian Fleet was extremely intimidating. He had seen his piloting skills for himself while he scouted out the battlefield and while there were no doubt better pilots, Noctis had seemed so… in tune with his fighter. As though it wasn't a human flying a machine, but that human and machine were one. Like…

He shook his head. That was stupid. He was a skilled pilot, but he was unarmed, injured, and alone. And it wasn't like Prompto wasn't entirely capable of handling himself. He would be fine, no matter what his boss thought.

Taking a deep breath, he tapped his wrist to the door panel and stepped through, smiling a little when he saw Nocits sit up suddenly, clearly not expecting him to come through that door. "It's a good thing we're about the same size," he said as he stepped into the bedroom. Prompto's bedroom. Not that he used it all that often. He could feel Noctis's eyes on him as he walked to the end of the bed to deposit his parcels there. "I got two shirts, didn't know what you preferred," he said, holding out the two he had chosen. A plain white dress shirt and a maroon tank top.

Noctis reached out and took the tank top, causing Prompto to smile a little. So he preferred the casual dress then? Interesting. Prompto watched as Noctis pulled the tank top on, being particularly careful of his burned shoulder, and tucked his dog tags into the neck to rest against his chest out of the way.

"I also got us some food too," Prompto said, up ending the bag and sitting on the bed. A couple of apples, a banana, some muesli bars, a block of dark chocolate, two sodas, and a packet of chips. He snagged an apple, biting into it, and smirked as Noctis pulled a face at the spread and claimed the chips for himself.

"Why 'us'? Don't you have a ship to fly, or something? Or you got someone else to do that for you?" Noctis asked.

"Na, it's in auto mode, all good. And I figured you'd probably have some questions. Despite the way I picked you up, we actually aren't your enemy," Prompto said, leaning back against the bedpost and tucking his legs comfortably under him. He was fairly certain now, having seen him in person, that Noctis wasn't going to attack him. At least he hoped so.

"How do you figure that? You sneak into a battlefield, though how I've yet to work out, kidnap me and fly away. You make a joke about selling me to the Empire as a slave, and I know it was a joke, but your accent is still that of someone from the Empire."

Oh shit, he had forgotten about his accent. Really should have hidden that better. Damnit, he wasn't a spy he was a smuggler! This wasn't his usual gig! "Just cause I'm from the Empire doesn't mean I'm _with_ the empire. If I was, I'd hardly be sharing a meal with you, would I?"

"If you can call this a meal," Noctis muttered, glaring at the fruit as though it had caused him some kind of personal affront.

"Well, sorry it's not up to your fancy navy level," Prompto said, looking away slightly. Stupid, thinking he could share a meal as though they were equals. He stood. "I'll leave you to it then, shall I?" Of course the Insomnian military would have way better food like this, and someone who had known no other life would expect such luxuries. Prompto? He had grown up just being thankful for _any_ kind of food. This was the best on offer. Come on, there was even fresh fruit! There's no way most people would have access to fresh fruit! Maybe getting Noctis on their side was a bad idea, there was just too much different between them and-

"No, wait!" Noctis suddenly said, a hint of desperation in his voice making Prompto pause. "I'm sorry. It's just… been a trying day, ya know?"

Only one? Prompto thought to himself. How luxurious. Taking a breath, he turned, plastering a bright smile on his face. "Gotcha!" he said, as though it had all been a joke, and flopped back down on the bed.

"Seriously?" Noctis said, weariness in his voice, but there was a small smile there too.

"So, what do you navy brats do for fun anyways? I mean besides blowing up Empire fighters," Prompto asked, seeking to regain a sense of normality.

Noctis shrugged his good shoulder. "I dunno. Hang out with friends, play games I guess? Depends what you're into. What about you, Sir Chocobo. What do kidnappers like you do for fun?"

"Hey, the kidnapping was a one time deal!" Prompto protested. "I'm a smuggler, thank you very much, and the stuff I smuggle is either willing or inanimate. Name's Prompto, by the way. You start calling me Sir Chocobo and my friends'll never let me live it down." Noctis snorted and Prompto felt himself starting to relax once more. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two phones, tossing one to Noctis.

"Don't get any ideas, it doesn't have any communication capabilities, but its connected to the ship's wifi and has got games on it," Prompto said. "Don't suppose someone like you would ever lower yourself enough to play King's Knight?"

"Are you kidding?" Noctis exclaimed, his face breaking into the first full smile since Prompto had kidnapped him. "Prepare to be amazed!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Previously on Scour the Universe, Catch a Star:**

 _Clarus decides to send two Glaives on a secret mission to rescue Noctis._

 _Gladio and Ignis both fail to be allowed to search for their friend but Iris finds out information that may help them do so anyway._

 _Noctis and Prompto speak face to face and kill time playing King's Knight together._

-l-l-l-

Nyx's heart sinks as Crowe slams her hand down on the table with a loud, "Ha!" Frustrated, he tosses his hand on the table as the woman scoops her winnings towards herself. "That's, what, four in a row now boys? Come on, any one would think you're not even trying."

"Five in a row," Libertus drawled.

"You know, I could say this all seems mighty suspicious, you winning so often," Luche said, his voice low.

Crowe stood, eyeing the blonde man. "Oh yeah? You tryin' to say something Lazarus?"

Nyx slowly pushed his chair back from the table, not liking where this was going. A glance at his other companions showed exactly what he expected: Pelna was inching towards his locker, trying to pretend that he was anywhere but here, and Libertus watching Nyx, waiting for his move before acting. Crowe and Luche, of course, had eyes only for each other.

"You know exactly what I'm saying. You. Are. A. Cheat," Luche said, carefully pronouncing each word to make it sound like he had drank less than he, than all of them, had.

With a shove, Crowe upended the table, scattering cards and gil everywhere before launching herself at Luche. She got in one solid punch to the jaw before Nyx and Libertus could intervene, both jumping up between the two Glaives and forcing them apart, Nyx on Luche and Libertus on Crowe.

"Come on, man, calm down," Nyx hissed to Luche as Libertus said much the same to Crowe, but Luche didn't get a chance to respond before another voice spoke up.

"Enough!" Drautos roared from where he stood in the doorway.

For half a second everyone in the room froze, then there was a flurry of activity as they all tried to stand in a line at attention and not let on to their commander just how much they had been drinking. They were off duty so were allowed to drink but they were supposed to keep it reasonable as they could be deployed at any moment. Of course, that rarely ever happened so usually it was safe to go a little over the limit and their commander would turn a blind eye. Usually.

"I had come here to tell you how proud I was of how you all handled yourselves today. To congratulate you not only on a job well done but of showing the Admiralty Board just what the Glaives are capable of," Captain Drautos said, pacing in front of the short row assembled before him. Nyx fought the urge to fidget and fix his uniform, feeling very much the twelve year old boy he had been when Drautos caught him stowing away on an Insomnian transport vessel.

"And instead I find this!" Drautos snapped, his voice rising in volume. "Gambling and drinking! And not just a celebratory toast either, but to excess."

"Oh, come on, Cap, cut us some slack." Nyx would have kicked Libertus for speaking right then were Crowe not standing between them; fool never did get the hang of knowing when Drautos was Captain Drautos or Drautos fellow immigrant. "We're off duty, and lost some good people out there today."

"Yes, we did," Drautos said, his voice deceptively calm before raising to a shout. "And we'll lose many more if you lot don't pick up your act, instead of brawling like common thugs!" Drautos paused for a breath and his hard blue eyes studied each of them in turn before saying, "Ulric, Lazarus, report to my office for a confidential assignment."

"Sir," Nyx and Luche said in unison.

"The rest of you, clean up this mess. And for Astral's sale, sobre up!" Drautos finished, not reacting to the others' "Sir" response.

The five of them collectively let out a breath and seemed to deflate as one after Drautos had left.

"I swear, if we're getting a dressing down because of your big mouth-" Luche started only to be cut off by Nyx snapping, "Enough, Luche."

Briefly Nyx closed his eyes, begging whatever Astrals were listening for calm before continuing, "You heard the Captain. It's an assignment, though I wouldn't be opposed to him throwing you to be hanger guard for a while."

"What, and rob you of that fine position?" Luche shot back as the two of them pulled their jackets on, at least trying to look professional. "Not on your life," Luche continued.

"Let us know what makes you two so special when you get back," Libertus called out as Nyx and Luche left.

Luche didn't respond but Nyx rose a hand in farewell as he followed the blonde out. They all knew that if it was truly confidential the would be little they would be able to share, but they also knew that, at least between Crowe, Libertus, and Nyx, they were usually willing to share more than they should.

Walking down the corridor, Nyx paused in front of a coffee machine and looked over the listing.

Luche walked past him a few steps before realising that Nyx had stopped. "What are you doing?" He asked, turning to face the other man.

"Sobering up," Nyx replied, making his selection and swiping his Gil card.

Luche seemed to think about it a moment before approaching and making his own selection. "So what do you think this'll be about?" He asked as he waited for the polystyrene cup to fill.

Nyx gave a noncommittal shrug. "Have a few ideas," he said. Everyone knew that the Admiral's son was MIA after all, chances were this was either to do with that or some other intelligence they weren't privy to. Though why Nyx and Luche were selected he had no idea.

"Care to share?" Luche asked as he took a tentative sip.

"Nope," Nyx replied, continuing along the corridor as he drank his own coffee, leaving Luche to mutter something under his breath and race to catch up.

-l-l-l-

Regis drummed his fingers against his thigh as he waited for the two men Clarus and Drautos had selected to arrive. Drautos's small office was rather cramped with the three of them there, and was soon to be more so with the addition of two more soldiers, but as soon as he had woken and been informed of what he had missed while he slept, Regis had insisted on taking part in the briefing. After all, this was regarding his son and, even if it weren't a matter of security that he be recovered, these men we putting their lives on the line for his relative. The least Regis could do was be a part of the briefing, to give what information he knew and look into the eyes of the men he was sending into the enemy's jaws for what was largely a personal reason.

A knock at the door announced their arrival, confirmed when Drautos called, "Enter," and the two men in question stepped in.

The blonde one, leading the way, paused briefly upon seeing the company in the room, while the dark haired one simply stepped around him and assumed the attention position as though this were an everyday occurrence. After a few moments the blonde followed suit.

Regis glanced briefly at Drautos but the man was looking at him, waiting, so Regis straightened from the desk he was leaning against and said first, "At ease," allowing the men to relax their stance a little, though neither did completely. Regis didn't mind, he was used to it; people being uncomfortable around him came with the territory of being Admiral.

"As you've no doubt gathered, what is discussed here today is to be kept completely confidential. No one outside of this room is to know the details and even the fact that you are being sent on a mission must be shared as little as possible. You have been selected for this mission because both Vice Admiral Amicitia and Rear Admiral Drautos have acknowledged your skill and subtlety," Regis said.

As he spoke those words the blonde puffed up a little, while the brunette remained carefully stoic. Mentally, Regis made the decision to keep an eye on the brunette, this Nyx Ulric. Perhaps his son could learn from him, at least in keeping a poker face. All Glaives had access to a small portion of the CRYSTAL's power, of course, but perhaps this Ulric could be a candidate for a little more. Though that would depend entirely on how he, how both of them, performed.

"As you already know, during the latest conflict, my son Noctis disappeared under mysterious circumstances. We have reason to believe that Niflheim was behind it, perhaps using some kind of new stealth technology," Regis explained. No hint of surprise appeared on either face so likely they had already suspected as much. Regis knew how rumours spread throughout the common soldiers; he only hoped the details of this mission could remain secret. "Your mission, your highly confidential mission, is to travel behind enemy lines where we suspect Noctis has been taken, recover him and find out any information you can on how he disappeared from our sensors. Drautos?"

"Sir," Drautos acknowledged, stepping forward to continue the briefing. "Eight hours from now we will be docking with the trade ship Coleman. You will board that ship and blend in as common spice traders making your way to Gralea. Clothes and a small supply of goods will be provided to pass a casual inspection but you will need to ensure you blend in well enough to not be scrutinized too closely. Forged documents will also be provided. We have intelligence that there will be some kind of battle occurring within Gralea's orbit, but we do not know the details of who is involved. Perhaps you can use the confusion that will cause to your advantage, but it is also possible that Officer Caelum will be involved somehow. Find out what you can and acquire him through whatever means necessary, preferably ones that do not reveal your cover. Also find out what you can about any new Niflheim technology. Acquire at least a sample of this if possible but any information will be beneficial."

Drautos paused and Regis resisted the urge to grimace. Their plan was flimsy at best. Flimsy could be good - it would allow the men more freedom to act as they see fit - but the lack of information could be disastrous as well.

"So to summarise," Drautos continued, "First infiltrate the trade ship Coleman in eight hours. Next travel to the planet Gralea. There your first priority is the search and rescue of Officer Caelum. Only if that priority is not to be jeopardised do you first, investigate Niflheim stealth technologies and second, investigate the cause behind the conflict in Gralea's orbit. Questions?"

A pause, then, "Sir. How do we get back once Officer Caelum has been recovered?" Ulric asked.

"By whatever means necessary," Drautos replied.

"Stop by my office before leaving and I will update your CRYSTAL chip. That will allow temporary direct communication access to a private channel one of the of three of us will always be monitoring. You can update us on that, including any information on what ship you will be returning on so we are aware that it is a friendly approaching, regardless of the colours flying," Regis said. Drautos wore a small smile at this announcement while Claus appeared concerned but Regis paid them no mind; this was something he had decided before the meeting began. These two had a proven track record, he was sure they could be trusted.

There was a pause, awaiting any other possible questions before Regis gave a single nod. "Very well then. I will see you both before you leave but for now, unless, your commander has further orders, I suggest you get some rest," Regis said, standing up straighter to leave. Drautos, Lazarus, and Ulric all gave both him and Clarus a salute, which Regis responded to with a single nod before taking his leave.

"Ulric, you are free to go. Lazarus, you will remain here for debriefing regarding the… incident I walked in on," Regis heard Drautos say as they left. Vaguely he wondered what said incident may have been but figured it couldn't have been too serious or Drautos wouldn't have allowed him to continue being a part of this mission.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Sir, giving more command over the CRYSTAL to them," Clarus said quietly as they walked back to the officers' quarters.

"If they're trustworthy enough to be sent after my son, they are trustworthy enough for this. Besides, it's only a communication channel, hardly anything important," Regis replied, his cane tapping along in time with his footsteps as he walked the long corridor. He tried not to let the ache in his knee show as he absently nodded to any who saluted them as they passed.

"But it is the very chanel our sons use to communicate privately with each other. Unless you had in mind something different?"

"No, you are correct, that is the one I was referring to. And again, if they are trustworthy enough to be sent on this mission, I hardly think giving them access to this will have any ill effect."

"But-"

"Just what is it that's the problem, Clarus? Do you know something I do not?" Regis suddenly demanded, his weariness causing his patience to wear thin.

Clarus glanced left and right to ensure they were alone and leaned in close. "They are foreigners, sir," he hissed, his voice low but firm. "How do we know they have the Insomnian Fleet's best interests at heart?"

Regis frowned at his XO. He knew Clarus was somewhat of a puritist, but not to the extent where he would express doubts over capable soldiers solely based on their origin. "Ignis is a foreigner," he pointed out.

"Ignis has been here long enough he may as well be Insomnian," Clarus said, brushing off the circumstances of both their son's best friend's birth.

"Nonetheless, he was born outside of Insomnia. By your reasoning he could have loyalties elsewhere and use his connections to ill effect."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about. Ignis was a child when he came here, these are grown men."

"Ulric was a child also when he came to us. Older than Ignis, true, but a child nonetheless. I know less of Lazarus, but I trust Drautos's judgement in this. Unless you have reason to believe he is untrustworthy?" Regis demanded with a single eyebrow raised, his tone indicating that Clarus better have a reason other than disliking the man before accusing him of anything.

Clarus, for his part, seemed to pick up on his Admiral's tone and only his frown gave away what he was truly thinking when he answered, "No, Sir."

"Then that is the end of it," Regis said with finality before turning and continuing on his way, leaving Clarus to follow or not as he chose.

-l-l-l-

Luche waited until Nyx left before daring to speak. "Sir, about that fight-" Luche started, wanting to play down his part in it, but he was cut off.

"This isn't about the fight," Drautos said irritably. "I had to say something that wouldn't raise suspicions. Don't make a habit of it but in this case your brawl actually worked in your favour. No, this is about your mission and some further information that the Admiral is not privy to." Luche stood a little straighter at that news; he knew his commander trusted him, he would not have brought him into his confidence if that hadn't been the case, but that he was about to learn information that the Admiral didn't know and he was about to was a huge ego boost. "The ones who captured the Admiral's son were not from the Empire."

Luche frowned. "Then who? Who else would care?" he asked. He had assumed that it was the Empire as well, that he was on this mission to further that, either sabotaging the rescue or carrying out some further goal the Empire had with the boy. To learn that the Empire had nothing to do with it threw Luche a little.

"Use your brain, Luche, unless that girl punched it out of you earlier," Drautos said.

Luche flushed a little at the insult but forced himself not to react to it, to instead think about it as he was bade to. If it wasn't the Empire, then who? "Someone who doesn't know what they have? But that doesn't make any sense," he countered himself, realising it even as he said it. "Even if some kind of salvager had access to that kind of tech, they would have hung around, taken more debri than just one escape pod. No, whoever it was knew what they were picking up, got in and got out." Luche glanced to Drautos then, but the man only nodded, agreeing but letting him work it out. Luche, in turn, just shook his head. "I don't know who would be stupid enough to get on the Insomnian's bad side and I'm assuming since we are being sent on this mission, no demands have been made for his safe return." Drautos gave another nod. Luche thought about it some more but in the end had to shrug his shoulders in defeat. "I don't know," he admitted. "It doesn't seem to make any sense."

"To tell the truth, I am not completely sure either, and neither are any of my contacts. There are a few possibilities, however. There are the various independants and mercenaries who could be looking to make a quick buck selling him to the enemy and they know that the Empire has more resources than Insomnia. The Leide rebels have been becoming bolder, though I find that less likely - where would they get the tech we saw and what use would they have of him? It could be a faction of the Empire that our benefactor has no contact with, though I find that equally unlikely. There is also the possibility that it was any of those and that the boy is now dead so no need for anyone to be contacted. It is, however, of vital importance to our benefactor that the stealth technology used is obtained, as I am sure you are able to see the benefits of it. That will be your true priority, even if you need to sacrifice the Caelum boy to obtain it." Luche gave a single nod, understanding and accepting the new orders. "Anyway, I mostly wanted to let you know that it was not the Empire who took the boy, so don't go expecting any favours from them while you're out in the field."

"Sir, how much does Ulric know of our benefactor?" Luche asked.

"Nothing," Drautos replied. "And I need you to keep it that way. I suspect Ulric could be a valuable asset to our cause in time, but for now I suspect he is too loyal to Regis. This mission will be a good opportunity to test those waters and see if we can't bring him round to our way of thinking. But for now, say nothing."

"And if he fights me on obtaining the technology at any cost?"

"Deal with it."

Luche felt a small icy ball settle in the pit of his stomach at that, but he shoved it away mercilessly; it didn't matter if he had known Nyx for years, their history was nothing. Luche was determined to be on the winning side of this was and that was not with the Lucians.

"Understood," he said.

"Good luck out there, Lazarus," Drautos said by way of dismissal and Luche bowed and made to leave only to be called back with, "And Lazarus?" Luche paused and glanced back. "Look suitably contrite, would you? You were just personally reprimanded for brawling."

Luche bowed again and left, allowing his head to hang low as the door slid closed behind him.

-l-l-l-

Nyx rolled his eyes to himself as he approached the storage room and heard the not-so-stealthy man behind him follow him there. He had been aware that he was being followed since not long after leaving the meeting in Drautos's office and it had only taken him two turns to realise it was Caelum Jr's Shield who was tracking him.

Stepping through the doorway to the storage room, he stood at one of the crates as though searching for something until he heard the tell tale boot step behind him. "You really ought to take your boots off if you're gonna try sneaking around behind someone," Nyx said casually, and smirked when he heard a sigh behind him.

"Knew I shoulda followed the other guy and left you to Iggy," the Shield said from behind him.

Now that the gig was up, Nyx turned around and leaned back against the storage chest, crossing his arms in front of him. "So what's this about then? What have I done that an Amicitia feels the need to follow me?" he asked.

The boy pulled a face at the name and said, "It's Gladio. Amicitia is my father." Nyx just gave a nod, acknowledging the preference. Gladio glanced around rather obviously, as though looking for anyone who might be listening, then leaned in and said, "I know you're part of the rescue team going to find Noct. Me and Iggy are coming with you."

An eyebrow rose. He wasn't really all that surprised that the Vice Admiral's son knew about the so-called top secret mission, but he also knew that this wasn't part of the plan. "Is that so? And how do you figure that? Do you even know where we're going?"

"Gralea," Gladio said confidently. "Look, I know you know I wasn't invited along, but I also know you by reputation at least. I'm Noct's Shield, I'm supposed to protect him, and I-I failed," Gladio said, his adolescent voice cracking a little at the end there. "I need to be involved in his rescue, I can't fail him again!"

Gladio's voice rose in volume as he spoke, as he became more impassioned and Nyx rose a hand to indicate he should keep it down. While his face remained impassive, inwardly Nyx grimaced.

" _Nyx!"_

 _The female voice carried easily over the shouts and cries of the wounded and dying and tore at the heart of the young boy unable to do anything to help, to stop it, to save her._

" _Sis…" he whispered to himself, as tears streaked down his face._

"Fine," he said before he even thought about it, shaking his head a little to rid himself of the hated flashback. Gladio's jaw dropped slightly but then slowly spread into a grin while Nyx just ran a hand through his hair, resting it at the back of his neck, wondering just what his hero complex had got him into this time. "Get yourself aboard the Coleman, it'll dock in eight hours. How you get aboard is your problem, I'm sure your genius friend can work something out," he said, knowing this 'Iggy' by reputation. He pulled out his phone and handed it over. "Put in yours and Scientia's phone numbers. I'll message you when we're far enough away from the Fleet that Luche won't be able to just send you back and we'll work together to come up with a plan of attack from there."

Gladio was nodding as he tapped away on the phone, adding their numbers to the contact list. As he handed it over, Nyx took it and in the process grabbed Gladio's wrist. The lad was big, Nyx's fingers didn't wrap all the way around and a small tug would no doubt pull it from his grip but, while Gladio clenched his fist, he didn't pull. "On this mission, you follow my orders and, lacking that, Luche's. I don't care what our rank is on the Fleet, when we leave I'm in charge. I say jump, you don't argue, you don't even ask how high, you just jump. And that goes for Scientia too. Got it?" Nyx said firmly, his blue eyes boring into Gladio's brown ones.

For a moment it looked as though Gladio were about to argue the point - even though Nyx had seen far more of the real universe than Gladio had, he still technically outranked him as a member of the Guard Unit. Demanding that he submit to Nyx's orders went entirely against protocol but then, if he were to follow protocol, he would report that Gladio and Ignis were trying to smuggle themselves into this mission. And then, jaw clenched, Gladio gave a single nod. "I may not like it, but if that's what it takes then so be it. At least until we retrieve Noct. Then he's in charge."

"Agreed," Nyx allowed; Caelum Jr may have a reputation as a spoiled brat, but he was also someone who listened to reason without judgment of someone's background, something he no doubt picked up from his father. He had no reservations that ,even if the Admiral's son had the final word, he would likely still defer to Nyx and Luche as the more experienced among them. "Go let your friend know and get ready. And remember," he added as Gladio made to leave. "This is a top secret mission. No one is to know about it."

"Of course," Gladio said with a smirk before taking his leave.

Alone again, Nyx sighed. Just what was he getting himself into?


End file.
